Crystal Clear
by WaterSparks
Summary: Jasmine's job requires her to ensure justice within society, and also work with the handsome and mysterious detective in town, Aladdin. All Jasmine has wanted was to simply stay away from her past, but ends with an inevitable stain as it comes clawing back.
1. Chapter 1

Smoking his last cigar, the middle-aged man gestured for one of the others to bring him another. After almost 20 years of chain smoking, the man had been reluctant to quit his nasty habit. He felt another cigar in his hand, lit it up, and took a long drag out of it.

"We must act now," he said. As he spoke, the smoke from his mouth began to form a cloud, creating an unclear vision of his surroundings. After almost 5 years in his surroundings, he still felt like a stranger in his own body.

"But sir, we don't have enough money. It is impossible to even consider—"

"We must. I have gotten some…insider information. I don't know what we are up against, but we must do it now," said the man with certainty. Taking another drag from his cigar, he motioned towards one of the other men standing next to him.

His surroundings began to look much clearer. He wasn't sure if it was because he was drugged out of his mind, or if it was simply because the smoke had cleared up. He missed the home cooked meals, the laugh of his children and the simple life he used to life. Now, however, it was like he was a new man. Someone who he knew, in a distant life.

"Jafar, I need you to look after Mr. Shah. He needs to be looked after," whispered the man. Jafar shook his head.

"I will do so, Sultan, as though my life depended on it," replied Jafar diligently. The Sultan smirked.

"Good, because it does," he said as he stood up. Standing at least a foot shorter than the rest of the occupants of the room, the Sultan still felt as though he were more powerful than the rest. He was able to succeed due to his charisma, his cunning edge and his swift movement. All of the rest were simply too vulnerable to make the first move.

He scanned the room. Only his most trusted disciples were able to work with him. The fire in the eyes of the men displayed their commitment to the fortune provided by the work that they did.

A knock came upon the door. One of the men opened the door, revealing a masked figure with another terrified man. The man looked like a piece of meat to the others, as the masked figured emerged into the dimmed lights of the dusty room. The other men began to snicker as they looked at the man, who let out a squeal of fear.

"Well, well," said with Sultan with a smile. He knew what he would do, but we wanted to entertain the rest of his men for enjoyment.

"Please…I didn't do anything. It was my job!" said the man, who looked horrendously frightened. The Sultan heard the jeering of the rest of his men, as they began to play with their pocket knives. The Sultan took a long drag out of his cigar.

"You should have quit then," said the Sultan, letting the smoke cloud the face of the man who looked like he could double over any moment.

"I-I have a family. My wife is pregnant with a boy," replied the man in a shaky tone.

"Then I hope your son will learn how to do what's best for his own family, instead of thinking solely on the prospect of his career," said the Sultan, grabbing on to a perfectly chiselled handle sticking out of his back pocket. The eyes of the man widened as he caught the glimmer of the knife blade.

"I won't do it again! I promise, I will teach him to respect you and what you do!" said the man in terror. He began to shake uncontrollably as he looked at the knife in horror.

The Sultan has always admired the cleanliness of his knife. If there was anything that he valued in his life it would be his knife, along with a few other people. But his knife was symbolic of his own honour, and how well he kept himself. He would use it whenever he felt the world needed to be cleansed of the undeserving people in this world.

"Please…I have a family. My son…" whispered the man tirelessly.

"My men will take care of that," smirked the Sultan, taking a long drag from his cigar. The man looked more awake, and his bloodshot red eyes looked as though he were in utter despair.

"Not my family. Please do not harm them. I beg you. She's pregnant," said the man. The Sultan laughed mercilessly as he went closed into the face of the man. He breathed out, allowing his pungent breath take over the face of the man. The Sultan could smell the reeking stench of fear and sweat all mixed into one.

"You coward," whispered the Sultan.

With a single swift of his arm, the knife created a neat cut across the neck of his victim. Instantly, the man let out a pleading scream, but the ears of the Sultan were quite immune to the last yell of his victims. He didn't need to be reminded of disgusting cowardice in which his victim's had acted upon.

A puddle of red appeared on the ground, growing each moment. The lifeless body of the victim remained on the ground, as the Sultan turned around. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe the knife, allowing it to slowly manifest into the same red that stained the ground. He heard the familiar buzz around the room, as the men began to clean up the mess. Finally, the Sultan sat down and took a final drag from his cigar and closed his eyes.

For some reason, the man couldn't help but to feel a wrench of emptiness inside of him.


	2. Chapter 2

The scrawny writing on the small piece of paper instilled far more emotion in her than ever before. A strong feeling of hatred towards her past had begun to rise as she looked down once more. An all too familiar font.

_One million dollars. _

With a long, thoughtful sigh, she folded the cheque and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans with reluctance. The unfortunate truth was that she needed it, now more than ever. Suddenly, Jasmine regretted her latest purchase of a beautiful statement necklace which she currently wore across her chest.

Pulling out her laptop, Jasmine signed into her email and opened one which was recently sent from her boss at the firm which she worked at. She was currently working on a drug bust in a local community. She felt filthy. She wanted to be a true lawyer, not the one that she currently was. Still, she continued to work on the case, as she knew she was in need of some income from the firm. With her younger sister still in school, there had to be some way to pay off her student debt.

Justice. She needed some type of justice in her life. All throughout her childhood, she had witnessed all types of unjust acts, and slowly but surely, she was being dragged back in by an inevitable force. With a sign, she looked down to her bracelet. The glint of the gold provided nostalgia as she remembered the look on her mother's face as she embraced her in a tight hug.

"Be free" she whispered. Even at a young age, Jasmine knew exactly what her mother meant. Be free of the family household. Be free of the stereotypes placed on her by her culture. Be free of the brazen grasp of her father's hands. Now, all that was left of her freedom was a golden bracelet with those exact words engraved by her wrists. The only memory of her mother, and her pleading wish for her eldest daughter.

The wish is yet to be fulfilled. The past still had a sufficient past on Jasmine, and it made her life far less enjoyable.

Suddenly, the door opened and a tanned young woman appeared. Her curly hair appeared to be flowing around her shoulders disastrously, while her piercing green eyes shot like lasers around the home. Esmeralda's green eyes were the only source of envy for Jasmine, they were the same colour as her mother's.

"I'm home! Did ya miss me?" asked Esmeralda, who threw her bright purple backpack on the white couch in the small apartment. Esmeralda took off her green hat and tossed in near her backpack as well as she walked into the kitchen, propping open the fridge.

"Thank you for throwing your stuff around. I really appreciate it," remarked Jasmine, sarcasm dripping from her mouth as she got up and walked into the kitchen. The emptiness in her stomach reminded her that she was hungry, and was in need of some energy.

"So, how was school?" asked Jasmine, taking out her favourite coffee mug.

"You know, it's basically the same thing every day. Why do I even have to go to school? I can be making money for us, I could open up my own studio!" beseeched Esmeralda. Her stubborn attitude was displayed by her distaste in education, all she wanted to do was go straight into the work force, and never get lectured about the stupidity of the idea.

"Esmeralda. I have explained this to you a billion times already. In order to open up your own business, you need to be smart. Since you were not gifted with this…asset, you will have to pay for it, through education," remarked Jasmine. Esmeralda let out a sigh, as she took out her sandwich making materials.

"I guess so…" she muttered.

"What did you do at work today?" Esmeralda asked with a happy tone residing in her voice.

"Same old stuff. Nothing too important" she said with a smile. Esmeralda knew what she was talking about, but decided not to talk about it any further. She simply continued to build her sandwich.

"Well, dance class was really fun today! I got to teach a few more kids, and I got a new kid! I made up a new routine, and we will practice it tomorrow. And then hopefully, my dancing career will take off," said Esmeralda with a smile, as she began to demonstrate a short demo of her upcoming dance. Jasmine laughed. Her sister always knew how to cheer her up.

"And then, I'll invite all of our friends to your dance show…or whatever it's called. Anyways, I have to finish up some work. I'll make some food later on, and maybe we can watch some TV later," said Jasmine as she took her cup of coffee back to her room.

As she lifted her laptop, she watched the screen immediately come to life in front of her. Her email inbox was filled with bolded emailed, indicating that they were left untouched from who knows when. Suddenly, she spotted an email, sent to her somewhere around 1:00 this morning.

**URGENT: IMMEDIATE RESPONSE**

The email was from her boss. With a quick movement of her finger, Jasmine quickly led the mouse, hovering over the email, and clicked it with fear of what it would reveal. After about eight months of working at the firm, Jasmine had been able to climb her way up to assisting with the criminal activity regarding finance specifically, despite her interest in 'real' criminal involvement. Alas, she needed a job in order to pay the bills, and she found that this one did the job.

The email had begun rather abruptly, lacking the eloquent tone that generally lingered around the emails which her boss sent her. Even more peculiar, the email has been sent at 1:06 AM, an unusual time for a man of her boss's age to be awake and working at. Regardless, Jasmine began to read the email with an uncanny suspicion.

_Jasmine, we must meet at once. There has been an eerie twist surrounding the case that we discussed earlier today. I suggest we meet tomorrow at noon, the local police department will be present. Please ensure your presence. _

_-Shang Li _

Jasmine read the email over twice more before beginning to make any judgement calls. She could notice the alarm in her boss's email, indicated by his lack of formal diction and formatting. He had even called her by her first name, forgetting the formalities in which he insisted on ever since their first meeting. Jasmine herself was startled. What had caused her own boss, Shang Li, the smartest man in the firm, to act in such a rash way?

She would find out tomorrow, and she was not excited.

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my very first fanfic on this website. I normally start a story off with a plan, but I just decided to write this one off randomly. I have somewhat of an idea as to where it will be going, but please continue to read! Hopefully Aladdin will make an appearance next chapter. I am planning to add more characters into this, and hopefully make it one big crime fic :)


	3. Chapter 3

Getting a call during the dead of the night was not unusual for Aladdin, but it still got on his nerves, that's for sure. Opening up his blood-shot red eyes, he let out a groan that mimicked the noise of a fully grown bear. The icy cold floor sent shivers up his spine, as he let out a soft sigh. He did not remember being this tired.

Finally, he spotted his cell phone coming to life. The bright light was the only source of light in the room, and his ringtone made him cringe.

_Note to self: remember to change my ring tone to something less annoying. _

Curling his fingers around his phone, Aladdin clicked the little green button. He held the phone up to his ear, and let out a soft sigh.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Aladdin, we need to meet up tomorrow in the morning," replied a masculine voice on the other line. Now Aladdin was wide awake. Who the hell calls at 1 o'clock in the morning on a weekday? The man did not sound remorseful at all.

"What? Who are you?" asked Aladdin.

"Shang Li, from Disney and Co. I need you to come to my office around noon. We need to speak about something as soon as possible. Bring your team," replied the voice from the other line.

_Why does the head prosecutor want to talk to me? _

"Why do you want to meet up with me? The case it almost over. I'll have my office send you the testimonies and the evidence. The rest is covered by you," replied Aladdin, as he sat down on his bed. He ran a hand through his thick black hair, wishing that he could go back to sleep.

"Exactly, there has been come more research done on the case. I need you to come to my office at noon," he repeated. Aladdin sighed. He knew of the reputation of Shang Li, he was a strong guy. He would continue to persist, and Aladdin would have no choice but to comply with his demand.

"…Ok, fine. But you have to buy me coffee," said Aladdin with a smirk.

"Wha—" the voice was cut off, as Aladdin clicked the red button on his phone. For once, Aladdin had achieved the power of getting the last word in a conversation with a powerful man. Satisfied, Aladdin put down his phone, remembering to put it on silent, on his bed side table. He lied down into his bed, and pulled his blankets up to his chin, and closed his eyes.

_Flynn is not going to be happy about this. _

"We have to go _where?_" asked the man in disbelief. His facial features were askew as he coughed a few times on his coffee. Aladdin craved the taste of caffeine, but fought off the urge to drink a third cup.

"I know, but the man called me at like 1 o'clock in the morning. What was I supposed to do? Tell him that we weren't going to show up?" asked Aladdin as he sat down at his desk, signing into his computer. Flynn rolled his eyes.

"Uhh…yea. Geez, I need to teach this Shang Li guy a lesson. When I see him, I'm going to stick my gun so far up his—"

"No, we have to go. I think…it sounded important. He said something about the case, and how there were some more revelations. I have no idea what's going on, but I think we should go. You know that I don't like them either," said Aladdin a he let out a long sigh.

Flynn also let out a sigh as he sat down on the chair in front of the last desk. He ran a hand through his brown hair put it hand instinctively near where his gun would have been. Aladdin smirked. The two of them had been friends since childhood, causing mayhem all around their neighbourhood, and now they landed a job together in one of the most contradictory fields. Being a detective was something that Aladdin took pride in. He was finally getting somewhere in his life. He never had to steal, or do anything illegal ever again.

"I guess you're right. You know Aladdin; you do this thing…where you actually take sense once in a while. It's kind of weird, but I guess that's why you're my best friend," remarked Flynn. He got up and walked to his desk, which was right beside the desk of his friends. He took out a file from his drawer and examined the features of the man in the photograph.

"You're my best friend too…Eugene," laughed Aladdin.

"Ha ha, very funny. Anyways, I know exactly why you aren't very…reluctant about going to Disney and Co. today," said Flynn, looking towards the window now.

"Oh yea, why?" tested Aladdin.

"Don't act dumb Al. We all know that you've got a thing for Shang's assistant, or whatever she is," replied Flynn.

Aladdin looked at Flynn in disbelief, but he knew that it wouldn't work. After years and year of knowing Flynn, he knew that reading his body language came second hand to him. Even as a personal investigator, Flynn had become almost impossible to lie to.

The truth was, Aladdin may have had a little crush on Jasmine. He had only seen her once or twice in his entire life, but everything about her was absolutely mesmerizing. The way that her eyes pieced him when he passed by her, or when her well groomed eyebrows arched when she read something of interest to her became addicting to him. Even the way that her hair fell perfectly by her chest, there was some undeniable force behind the strong attraction that he felt to her.

The look at Aladdin's face must have been stunned, because Flynn began to laugh uncontrollably loud.

"Shut up!" whispered Aladdin, running towards Flynn as he covered his mouth.

"I didn't know it was that bad! Man, you just zoned out for a good five minutes, probably day dreaming about this chick. You have got to get a life," remarked Flynn. Aladdin rolled his eyes at the immaturity that Flynn forgot to leave in his childhood.

"I just…she's really beautiful," said Aladdin simply as he began to pick up his stuff, getting ready for the meeting.

"She's totally out of your league man. She's a high up lawyer, and you're…a detective. Plus, you're not the best looking guy out there," said Flynn. Aladdin had the urge to through his files at his immature friend, but refrained.

"Let's just go to the meeting," sighed Aladdin.


End file.
